Classification of Life What is Taxonmy? Video
Essential Questions How can genetic and evolutionary relationships be used to classify organisms? How can data and/or models be used to analyze how organisms are organized into hierarchy of groups and subgroups based on evolutionary relationships?
Classification of Life Biologist classify, or group, organisms in a logical way that shows their relationships to other organism (similar to a family tree!) Grouped according to various biological characteristics such as similarities in structures, biochemistry, genetics, embryological development and fossil evidence Classification systems suggest that related organisms shared a common ancestor at some time in the past
Classification of Life Classification – a system for grouping related organisms Each organism has a scientific and common name: Scientific name – unique and universal Common name – vary among languages and regions Scientific Name = Puma concolor Common Names = Mountain Lion Cougar
Linnaeus’s System of Classification Binomial nomenclature – each species is assigned a 2 part name (Bi = two) First word refers to the genus Second word refers to the species Scientific names always written: In italics First word is capitalized Second word is lowercase
Taxonomic Categories Organized least to most related Phylum Class Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species
Major Kingdoms
Monera Primitive cell structure Lack a nuclear membrane Lack organelles with membranes Examples: Bacteria Blue-green Algae Streptococcus pyogenes
Protista Spirogyra algae Mostly unicellular organisms with plant-like and/or animal- like characteristics Algae - Plant-like in mode of nutrition Protozoa - Animal-like in mode of nutrition Examples: Spirogyra (Algae) Paramecium, Ameba (Protozoa) Paramecium protozoa
Fungi S. pombe (fission yeast) Bread mold - Left Cells are usually organized into branched, multinucleated filaments Filaments absorb digested food from the environment Examples: Yeast Bread mold Mushroom
Plant Multicellular, photosynthetic organisms Sphagnum moss (bryophytes) Geranium pollen (tracheophytes) Multicellular, photosynthetic organisms Bryophytes - Lack vascular tissue; has no true roots, stems, or leaves Tracheophytes - Have vascular tissue, true roots, stems or leaves Examples: Moss (Bryophytes) Geranium flower, fern, bean, pine tree, maple tree, corn (Tracheophytes) m
Animals Multicellular organisms that ingest their food Coelenterates – two cell layers, hollow body wit one opening (hydra, jellyfish) Annelids – segmented body walls (earthworm) Mollusks – one or two part shell (clam) Arthropods – jointed appendages, exoskeleton (grasshopper, lobster, spider) Chordates – dorsal nerve cord (shark, frog, human)
Animals Hydra Head of Earthworm Bay scallop Blue Spiny Lobster
Major Animalia Phyla
Patterns of Evolution Coevolution – process by which two species evolve in response to changes in each other Convergent Evolution – process by which organisms evolve structures that have similar (analogous) structures or functions in spite of their evolutionary ancestors being unrelated Divergent Evolution – Process by which species diverges into two or more descendant species, resulting in once related species to become more unrelated
Cladistic Analysis Guided by Darwin’s Theory of Evolution: Biologist now group organisms that represent lines of evolutionary decent, not just physical similarities Cladistic Analysis – identifies and considers only characteristics that are evolutionary innovations (new characteristics that arise as lineages evolve over time) Derived Characters – characteristics that appear in recent lineages but not in its older members
Genetics & Classification Genes of many dissimilar organisms show important similarities at the molecular level The genetic similarities can be used for classification Molecular Clock – comparisons of DNA can be used to estimate the length of time that two species have been evolved independently Degree of dissimilarity = indication of how long ago the two species shared a common ancestor